Phoenix Mercury's Off-Shooting Night Seals Loss to Washington Mystics

Mercury's Struggles from Deep

The Phoenix Mercury's struggles from beyond the arc proved costly on Tuesday night as they fell to the Washington Mystics 83-69. The Mercury shot just 22.2% from three-point range, making only 6 of 27 attempts.

Brittney Griner led the Mercury with 18 points and 9 rebounds, but she was the only Phoenix player to reach double figures in scoring. Diana Taurasi, who is averaging 18.9 points per game this season, was held to just 8 points on 2-of-12 shooting.

Mystics' Balanced Attack

The Mystics, on the other hand, had a much more balanced scoring attack. Elena Delle Donne led the way with 17 points, followed by Natasha Cloud with 16 points and Ariel Atkins with 15 points.

The Mystics also shot the ball well from three-point range, making 8 of 22 attempts (36.4%). Cloud was particularly impressive from deep, going 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Defensive Lapses Cost Mercury

In addition to their struggles from three-point range, the Mercury also had some defensive lapses that cost them the game. The Mystics were able to get into the paint with ease and score at the rim.

The Mercury also had trouble containing Delle Donne, who scored 11 of her 17 points in the second half. Delle Donne was able to get to her spots on the floor and knock down shots over the smaller Mercury defenders.

Looking Ahead

The Mercury will look to bounce back on Thursday night when they host the Dallas Wings. The Wings are currently in last place in the Western Conference, so the Mercury will have a good opportunity to get back on track.

However, the Mercury will need to improve their shooting from three-point range and tighten up their defense if they want to be successful against the Wings.